Container



April 1, 1969 F. J. SANTANGELO CONTAINER Sheet Filed March 15, 1968 April 1, 1969 F. J. SANTANGELO 3,436,003

CONTAINER Filed March 15, 1968 v Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY April 1959 F. J. SANTANGELO 3,436,008

CQNTAINER Filed March 15, 1968 INVENTOR u. fin 74min 0 mmw w ATTO R N EY United States Patent Y 3,436,008 CONTAINER Francis J. Santangelo, Middlesex, NJ., assignor to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 533,919, Mar. 14, 1966. This application Mar. 15, 1968, Ser.

Int. Cl. B65d 3/24, 1/36, 11/00 US. Cl. 229-15 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A composite container having flexible paneling with a molded plastic frame of structural member sections determining the contour of the flexible paneling 1s equipped with plastic partitioning or spacer means molded as an integral part of at least one of the plastic structural member sections for segregating contents in one sect1on of the container from contents in a different section thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 533,919 filed Mar. 14, 1966, now abandoned, by Francis J. Santangelo for Container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, sheet material, blanked to present desired panel sections is disposed with respect to male and female mold sections such that when the mold is closed, the panel sections are disposed in the relative positions they ultimately occupy in the container, and in relative positions also with respect to mold cavities including mold cavities presenting matrices for the frame elements and the receptacle defining elements, such that when plastic material is injected into the mold cavities, not only is there formed the container per se but also the receptacle defining means in the desired spatial relationship vis-a-vis the container enclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

plan view of the container portions 22 of the blank sections .12 and Patented Apr. 1, 1969 tainer equipped with the present improvements and wherein the mold cavity is presented by the male mold member, a member movable in and with respect to the male mold section, and by a panel of flexible sheet material buttressed by the female mold member.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view through the mold cavity of FIG. 7 after the cavity has been filled with thermoplastic material.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a container illustrating a different embodiment of the present improvements.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material prior to molding for use in the composite container.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view on line 12-12 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner of the container shown in FIG. 9 looking at the bottom side.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of the center bottom portion of the container looking at the top side.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 15-15 of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention is illustrated in connection with a shallow tray type composite container 10 comprising a blank of flexible sheet material such as paper, paperboard, cardboard, foil, and laminates thereof cut or stamped to present a bottom panel 11, end panels 12 with marginal flange sections 13, and said panels 14 with marginal flange sections 15. (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.)

Such a blank is folded by presentation to the face of a female mold section (fragmentally shown in FIGS. 7 and 8) and subjected to the action of a complementary male mold section which, as it enters the female mold section bends the end and side sections 12 and 14 almost at right angles to the bottom panel 11 except for a taper which facilitates mold separation, and then the flange sections 13 and 15 outwardly in a direction generally parallel with the bottom panel.

Mold cavities in the female mold section which extend all around the container rim and which are closed in part by the male mold section and in part by marginal edge portions of the blank extending into such cavities form a matrix for reinforcing plastic end rails 16 and side rails 17 which are injection molded therein.

The container is formed at each corner with a rigid plastic reinforcing frame member -18 which includes a footing 19 bonded to the bottom surface of the base panel 11, an integral upright section 20 angular in cross section and a horizontally disposed flange member 21 at the top which merges into the end and side flange members 16 and 17. As in the case of the flange members 16 and 17, each corner reinforcing plastic frame member 18 is injection molded in a matrix presented by a mold cavity in the female mold section and which is closed in part by the male mold section and in part by marginal end 14 extending into the mold cavity.

An inlet gate for introducing liquid thermoplastic into the mold may be located at each corner of the mold if desired preferably, in the present instance, in a position underlying each of the corner footings .19.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention a plastic form is located in a fixed position with respect to the containers enclosure. The form in the embodiment disclosed is a plurality of receptacles 23 and 24 having a wall 25 with cylindrical configuration and a bottom 26. A suitable mold for producing this receptacle form is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. It includes a portion 30 of the female section and a portion 31 of the male section between which the base panel II of the container is clamped during the injection molding operation. A cylindrical recess 32 which opens in the face of the male mold section opposed to the female section, and which has a somewhat tapered portion 33 adjacent its outer end, accommodates a slideable piston-like member 34 having a shape complementary to the cylindrical recess 32 except near its outer tapered end portion 35 which is reduced in diameter to provide an annular space or cavity 36 defined by the walls of the cylinder and piston when the latter is in its outermost position. The walls of the receptacles 23 and 24 are molded in annular spaces of mold sections thus defined, there being one such mold section for each of the receptacles 23, 24.

With the mold fully closed, the piston 34 in its outermost position stops short of the container base 11 to define a thin circular space 37 communicating at its periphery with the annular space 36 to complete the cavity in which a receptacle is cast. A runner 38 (only part is shown) presented in the face of the male mold section 31 and which extends from each receptacle cavity 36 to the nearest cavity in which a corner member 20 is cast, insures delivery of molten plastic material to the receptacle molds during the injection molding operation. In these runners 38 there are formed plastic ties 3-9 of sufficient strength to insure maintenance of the receptacles in their proper positions for the purpose intended.

Still another anchor is provided in the form of a connecting tie strip 40 between the receptacles and which is molded in a runner, not shown, interconnecting the receptacle cavities.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 9-15 comprises a composite container 50 molded from a blank 51 of flexible sheet material as in the case of the embodiment first described and which includes a bottom panel 52 and side panels 53, with score marks 54 where the side panels join the bottom panel so that the side panels will fold up easily during the molding operation.

Blank 51 is folded by presenting it to the face of a female mold section (not shown) and bringing a complementary male mold section against it. As the male mold section enters the female mold section, the side panels of the blank bend at the score marks 54 to a position almost at right angles to the bottom panel except for some flare outwardly which facilitates mold opening and discharge of the container from the mold after forming.

When blank 51 is properly located in the mold and the mold closed, there are located in marginal areas of the blank along its edges, matrices which are filled with molten plastic material during an injection molding operation to produce a reinforcing frame of structural member sections. Thus, all around the upper edge of the container, there is a reinforcing structural member 55 whose cross section is angle shaped (FIG. 12), one leg of which presents a top flange 56 for the container. The other leg 57 extends downwardly and is bonded to the side wall paneling 53 of the container along an overlapping marginal portion adjacent the top edge. Preferably, the molding operation is such that the inner face of side wall paneling 53 and the inner face portion of the vertical leg of the angle section where it extends above the edge of the side wall paneling, are flush.

The container 50 is also equipped with molded plastic angle structural member sections 58 at each of its corners. These sections, at their upper ends, are formed integrally with the angle sections 55 around the top of the container. The angle sections 55 at the corners fill up whatever space exists between the adjacent edges of the paneling 53. Flange portions 59 of these angle sections overlap and are bonded to corresponding marginal portions adjacent the edges of the paneling 53, and the inner surfaces of the paneling and adjacent inner surfaces of the corner structural member sections 58 are flush. A footing 60 molded at the bottom of each vertical structural member section 58 insures rigidity between the flanges of section 58 and closure of the container in this region so that the container is fluid tight.

In accordance with the present invention, the container is separated into compartments by a partition 61 for-med of plastic material injection molded preferably simultaneously with and as an integral part of the frame comprising the structural members 58 at the corners of the container and the structural member 55 rimming the top. To this end, the male member of the injection mold has a slot forming a matrix for the partition 61. This partition at its ends adjacent the side panels of the container and at the lower edge thereof adjacent the bottom of the container broadens out to present flanges 62 extending in opposite directions outwardly from the partition in the shape generally of the flanges of the well-known I-beam.

The bottom panel is formed at its center with a small cross slit 63. During the molding operation, the matrix for the partition flanges are closed by the paneling. A mold gate in the female section of the mold (not shown) i in registry with the cross slit at the center of the bottom panel. Plastic under pressure travels through the slit to form the partition and the footings where the partition is adjacent the paneling. By providing a notch 64 in the side paneling centrally of its upper edge, communication is established between the matrices in the male portion of the mold and in the female portion of the mold with the result that the plastic partition and the supporting framework of the container are actually an integral unit. The bonding of the partition footings at its bottom and end edges to the paneling along these areas contributes to the strength of the container as a whole and renders the partition Watertight thereby to segregate the contents in one compartment of the container from the contents in the other. When the matrices int he mold have been completely filled with the molten plastic material, the slits, in turn, through which the plastic has had access to the mold is itself filled up so that the container is, indeed, fluid tight in both compartments.

Another thing that should be mentioned is a plastic extension 65 of thickness reduced to make it flexible, and which extends inwardly from each of footings 60. These extensions are bonded to the paneling throughout the adjacent surface and their function is to yield when the paneling is flexed, thereby to prevent the paneling from breaking away from the more rigid footings 60.

The invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments but many other embodiments are included within its spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. A composite container with flexible paneling of paper, paperboard, cardboard, foil, laminates thereof, or the like, and having a given contour, a frame of rigid plastic structural member sections having a given spatial relationship defining areas presenting the paneling and being bonded to the paneling along marginal edges thereof to maintain the given contour of the paneling, partitioning means for dividing the container into a plurality of chambers, and plastic means adhered to the container paneling for determining the location of the partitioning means in the container.

2. A composite container according to claim 1 wherein the partitioning means is a plastic element formed integrally with the means which determines its location in the container.

3. A composite container according to claim 1 wherein the partitioning means is a plastic element formed integrally with the plastic frame.

4. A composite container with flexible paneling of paper, paperboard, cardboard, foil, laminates thereof, or the like, and having a given contour, an integral frame of plastic structural member sections bonded to the paneling and maintaining the given contour thereof, different 5 structural member sections of said frame being located exteriorly of said container and interiorly of said container, and a partition within said container supported by said interiorly located structural member sections.

5. A composite container according to claim 4 wherein at least certain of the exteriorly located structural member sections are corner members provided at the bottom with an integral rigid plastic footing bonded to the adjacent paneling, said footings being provided with a relativly flexible extension attached to the footing and bonded to the adjacent paneling, and said extensions being adapted to flex wtih the paneling, thereby to prevent rupture between the paneling and the footings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 22021, 22; 229-25 

